Amalgamating-machine.



E. E. HEDGES.

AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION 211,111) SEPT.12, 1911.

Patented NOV. 24, 1914.

WITNESSES:

* THE NORRIS PETERS CGPHOTO-LITHO.1WASHINOTON, '1. c.

E. E. HEDGBS. AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 19 11.

1,1 18.128. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- IAIIIIYV wnuE%ss: 6 INVENTOR MGM W I THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHGm'LITHO" WASHINGTON. nv r EDWARD E. HEDGES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AlvIALGAMATING-MACHINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Iaiagn'ted Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed September 12, 1911. Serial No. 648,826.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD E. Hnnens, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk,

in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ermalgamating-vlachines; and I hereby declare the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. 1

This invention has for its object, to provide a machine for the purpose of separating and collecting substantially the entire quantity of metal. from the ore pulp, whereby waste of metal is reduced to a minimum, the ore being subjected to thorough treatment by being passed over inclined amalgamating pans having corrugated bottoms for retaining the metal when separated from the ore.

A further object is to providethe amalgainating pans with removable bottoms, so that they may be taken from the machine for the purpose or" scraping the metal therefrom, after the machine has been used.

A still further object is to provide an efficient means of moving the amalgamating pans in one direction, and causing a sharp return in the opposite direction, terminating in a sudden impact with suitable buffers for the purpose of imparting movement to the pans in several directions, to keep the ore constantly in a state of agitation and cause a gradual travel of the ore down the inclined amalgamating pans, whereby precipitation of the metal in the ore pulp to the bottom of the pans is facilitated.

The construction and operation of the de vice is more particularly described and shown in the accompanying specification and drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the amalgamating machine. Fig. 2, is a detail view of the receiving box and solution tank. Fig. 3, is a cross sectional view of one of the amalgamating pans. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of part of one of the removable corrugated bottom plates. Fig. 5, is a view of part of one of the locking members for securing the bottom plate within the pan. Fig. 6, is a detail view of the actuating cam for causing the reciprocation of the amalgamating pans.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The ore pulp is delivered into the receiving box a and passes from the receiving box through openings or perforations Z) to the receiving end of the amalgamating pan 0. The receiving box is attached at the upper part of the front end of the apparatus and is provided with a tank (Z, having a discharge pipe 0 through which the contentsof the tank are delivered into the receiving box to mix with the ore pulp. F or the recovery of gold and silver, I use a cyanid solution in the tank (Z which is delivered to the re-'- ceiving box for the purpose of flattening or preventing the foaming of the slime of the ore pulp. The amalgamating pan 0 is inclined from the receiving box a downwardly toward the agitator tank 7 and may be said to consist of two sides 9 and a bottom it. Contained within the amalgamating pan r, is a corrugated bottom plate 71, removablv held in position by removable locking members j, the bottom edges of which are corrugated to correspond with the corrugations of the plate and interlock therewith. The locking members i are bolted or otherwise secured to the sides 9' of the amalgamating pan, so-

that they can be raised above the level of the plate 2' to allow of its insertion in, or removal from, the pan, or lowered into contact with the corrugated bottom plate to hold it securely in position. The amalgamating pan 0 is vibratingly suspended from the top members 71: of the frame by spring tensioned hangers Z, which are provided with adjusting nuts m-to vary the inclination of the pan when it is necessary to change the rate of speed of the descent of the ore pulp.- The front end of the amalgamating pan 0 extends normally beneath the receiving tank a, and the discharge end extends above the agitator tank f. The ore pulp is delivered through the perforations Z) into the amalgamating pan and passes over the corrugated bottom plate 2". As it descends toward the discharge end of the amalgamating pan, the bottom plate collects those particles of metal which come into contact with it and retains them until they have been scraped from the bottom plate. The remainder of the ore pulp passes from the discharge end of the amalgamating pan into the agitatortank and is kept in a state of agitation therein by the heaters 0, which are fixedly attached to a revoluble shaft p, journaled in the agi- Vibratingly suspended from the top memhere 7 of the frame, is a second amalgamat ing pan 8, the hangers 25, "for which are simi lar in all respects to the hangers Z. The amalgamating pan 3 extends from beneath the agitator tank 7 to a place above the agitator tank a, and the ore pulp flowing from the agitator tank (Z falls upon. the receiving end of the amalgamating pan 3, and travels slowly across tae corrugated bottom plate to the discharge end, where it falls into the agitator tank 11-. The am algamating pan .9 and its corrugated bottom plate, are similar in all respects to the amalgamating pan 0 and its corrugated bottom plate 2', and are for the same PUYPUSG, namely, that of separating the metals from the refractory substances oi? the ore pulp and collecting and retaining the metals until they have been scraped from the bottom plate. The agitator tanks are partly filled with amalgam and the metal in the ore pulp falling upon the amalgam, is collected and retained by it. Should any oi the metal in toe pulp escape being collected by the bottom plate of the upper amalgamating pan, it will, if it comes into contact with the amalgam in the agitator tank 7' be retained while the refractory material and the water flow away across the lmttom plate of the amalgamating pan 8 into the agitator tank a.

ll any metal should ren'iain in the pulp after passing the agitator tank f, the bottom plate of the amalgamating pan 8 will collect it or as much as comes into contact with the bottom plate, and the amalgam in the agitator tank 1/. will. also assist in. separating and collecting the remaining metal so that when the ore pulp ilows away from the agitator tank L6 to the discharge pipe, it will. be practically in a metal-tree condition.

in order to bring the metal into contact with the bottom plates of the amalgam pans, l find it necessary to cause the quick vibration of the contents of the pans. This I effect by providing the amalgamating pans with the hangers Z and Z, to allow the plates to more laterally, lengthwise and diagonally t' the machine. To create the vibrating movement, I mount upon the main Sllflft 1', two cams Q), engaging with the ends of two lovers u' tnlcrumed to the .t'rame on opposite sides of the machine and connected on opposite sides oil their tulcrums by links to the a malgamating pans. During the rotation of the main slmitt. the cams by engaging the levers a, more the amalgamating pans in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. ll hen the amalgamating pans have completed their movement in this direction, the

cams release the levers, and the amalgamating pans are returned. in the opposite direction to their normal. position by springs y connected to the pans and to the standards 2 of the framework. When the levers are released by the cams, the springs 7 cause the sharp return of the pans, which is arrested by cushioned buii'ers a engaging lugs 72 bolted to the sides of the pans. The impact oi the lugs 1) against the cushioned butlers o causes the arrest of the movement of the pans in the reverse direction, and this impact imparts a tremulous vibration in all directions, including the vertical, oi? the pan, and creates a sloshing; movement oi the pulp which, in cooperation th the corrugations of the plate, clients a very ethcient contact between the amalgamated suritac. and the pulp. This shaking; of the ore pulp causes the precipitation of the metal in the ore pulp to the bottom plates, where it is collected and retained. ril'irating By means of this motion, l am able to bring the metal in the pulp into contact with the bottom plates, so that they can collect and retain it.

T he details oi the construction of the machine may be varied from what I have shown in the accompanying drawings and described herein within the scope of the appended claim. without departing); from the nature of the invention, the essential feature of which, is to provide the amalgating pans with a reciprocating movement terminating in a sharp impact with a resisting part of the apparatus so that a vibrating movement will be imparted to the pans to shake their contents and effect the bringing of the metal in the ore pulp into contact with the bottom plates.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In an amalgamating machine an inclined amalgamated. pan, an amalgamated plate, having undulating corrugations in said pan, means for vertically and horizontally resiliently supporting the same, means for 1noving the pan in one direction, means for retracting the pan in the opposite direction, and means for arresting the increment ot the pan and causing an impact which will impart a tremulous vibrating movement to the pan in all directions.

Toronto, August 17th, 1911.

EDll UiR-D E. HEDGES.

Signed in the presence oi- Chances l-l. ltionns, lilnwano Bniinsrmn.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

